Sformati can be sweet or savory. They often have a bechamel sauce as a base, but here is an example using creamy-soft cauliflower and ricotta and fontina cheeses. Served with lemony arugula or watercress, it makes a light, lively starter for a dark winter’s evening.

An addition of goat cheese makes for a cheesecake that tastes perfectly authentic, but without the gumminess that can plague some recipes. Thanks to an initial burst of high heat, it puffs gently in the oven, creating a uniquely light but creamy consistency.

When I was growing up in Nebraska in the 1980s, my mom was the queen of what are now considered retro foods from that era. I have fond memories of her pretzel-crusted strawberry Jell-O and cream cheese "salad." Of course, now that Im a food snob—or food elitist, as my dad would say—I have to give it a slightly more sophisticated rendering. A springform pan is pinch-hitting for the glass Pyrex dish, transforming the salad into a tart. The sides of the pan are removed to reveal the pretty layers. It can be made in a 9-in/23-cm deep-dish pie pan instead, but then I guess it becomes just that, a pie. Salad, tart, pie—whatever you want to call it, this throwback is worth revisiting.

There’s no need to reduce your cream or pre-cook the kale for this aromatic casserole; everything cooks together in cheesy, creamy harmony. Leaving the potatoes unpeeled bumps up nutrients and cuts the prep time, too.

Given that this popcorn is green and has the word "kale" in the title, it has proved to be shockingly popular among the preschooler set (to whom I'd bring it for class snacks when it was our turn) as well as adults.